New hunt: Police search Claudia Lawrence's house

HOPE: Advances in forensics may reveal what happened to missing chef Claudia [PA]

Claudia was last seen nearly five years ago by colleagues at the University of York when she finished her shift on March 18, 2009.

She spoke to her parents Peter and Joan on the phone that evening but has not been heard from since, despite a huge police hunt.

Now police hope advances in forensics may reveal what happened to Claudia, then 35, who they suspect was murdered.

They reopened the cold case yesterday after four and a half years by beginning a renewed search of her home in York.

Detective Superintendant Dai Malyn, head of North Yorkshire Police’s Major Crimes Unit, said: “Historically, in some of the high profile cases, progress has been made through forensic science and the developments in forensic science and that’s no different, in my hope, in this case.”

SEARCH: Forensic officers enter the home of missing university chef Claudia Lawrence [PA]

“It is never too late for people to come forward with information now that, for whatever reason, they felt unable to share with us in the past”

DCI Simon Mason

But his colleague DCI Simon Mason warned there was no new piece of convincing evidence.

He explained that detectives want to take another shot at solving the crime before someone else moves into Claudia’s old home and potential evidence is lost. There is no new “smoking gun or startling piece of evidence”.

He added: “I wouldn’t want people to believe that to be the case.

“Originally, the house was tidy and there didn’t appear to be any sign of disturbance. But that’s not to say you cannot do something in a house then tidy it up to make it look as if everything was ordinary.

“These are the things that we’ll be looking at. It is never too late for people to come forward with information now that, for whatever reason, they felt unable to share with us in the past.”

MISSING: Claudia has been missing for almost five years [PA]

Yesterday Claudia’s father Peter said he was “grateful” for the fresh investigation.

He added: “Advances in forensic science and testing in the past four years make this a very worthwhile exercise.

“Anything which helps the search to find Claudia, or at least find out what happened to her on that morning in March 2009, is welcomed.”

During the initial investigation into Claudia’s disappearance more than 100 officers worked on the case, with some investigating leads as far away as Ireland and Cyprus.